LISTEN | Parliament fire could have been prevented: secretary

18 October 2023 - 15:00
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Fire fighters work to extinguish the blaze that engulfed the parliamentary buildings in Cape Town.
Fire fighters work to extinguish the blaze that engulfed the parliamentary buildings in Cape Town.
Image: Mike Hutchings/Reuters

It has been a year since parliament commissioned an internal investigation into the fire that gutted buildings in Cape Town's parliamentary precinct on January 2 2021. 

Zandile Mafe is facing criminal charges related to the blaze, which burnt for three days.

On Wednesday, parliament's secretary Xolile George released the investigation's findings.

He said it found the fire could have been prevented if more care had been taken to limit vulnerabilities.

“The report emphasised that the fire incident could have been prevented, or its extent limited, if certain critical measures had been in place. 

“The decision not to deploy Parliamentary Protection Services officers at night and on public holidays and weekends during the 2021/2022 compulsory leave period left parliament vulnerable,” George said.

Some evidence from the investigation is part of a criminal matter before the Western Cape High Court, he added.

TimesLIVE


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